Conveyors in a wide range of types have been used heretofore for handling materials of a wide range of types. Certain conveyors, and more particularly conveyors used with packages such as bottles, cans, and other similar generally cylindrical, somewhat fragile containers normally conveyed in an upright position, have employed chain in various forms.
Particularly in the field of conveyors employed with packages such as containers of the type described, difficulties have been encountered as the industry handling such materials has gone toward one or both of more fragile packages and higher operating speeds. By way of example only, the bottling industry has had occasion to adopt non-returnable bottles which, in order to reduce costs, are more readily breakable than more traditional returnable bottles. Additionally, development of packaging machinery used in bottling and canning plants and the like has achieved higher production rates, necessitating handling of packages in greater volumes per unit of time. Efficient handling of increasing volumes of packages per unit of time has begun to require more positive control over the flow and movement of such packages or objects.
Persons working in the field of conveyors using chains thus are presented with a range of problems. These problems include a need for handling packages at higher speed, a need for avoiding excessive contact pressure between relatively fragile packages, and a need for expanding the usefulness of conveyor chains while maintaining strength needed for accomplishing the operating functions required.